


Soar Again

by space_kittn



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Berlin Wall, Brotherly Love, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Family Reunion, Gen, Historical Hetalia, I Tried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_kittn/pseuds/space_kittn
Summary: The night of the 9th to the 10th of November 1989, the Berlin Wall falls and the borders between BRD and GDR are reopened. This marks the reunion of many families and friends, and after nearly 30 years of separation the joy seems endless.In midst of the celebrations and all the laughing and crying faces, a man seeks for his brother.
Relationships: Germany & Prussia (Hetalia)
Kudos: 40





	Soar Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to this one-shot thingy I wrote!  
> I had a story like this one in mind for a while actually, and now I finally wrote it!
> 
> Constructive criticism is very welcome, but please note that I am not an English native.  
> I hope you're going to have fun reading this!
> 
> (translations at the end of this story)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING, all characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya, the brilliant creator of Hetalia

Midnight had fallen when he finally arrived at the wall. The stars shone beautifully bright that night. Not that he cared. Ludwig Beilschmidt, the embodiment of the BRD, was not here to gaze at glowing balls made of gas, burning many million kilometers away from his current position. No, he was here for something that happened much closer.

The calendar marked the 9th of November in the year of 1989. The day the Soviets finally gave up on the Berlin wall, the wall that enclosed western Berlin and tried to separate it from the rest of the world.

Ludwig would have never dared to dream this day would come. Frankly, he had lost all hope after the fierce criticism Ronald Reagan’s speech had gotten back in 1987. Nevertheless, here he was, near the Brandenburger Tor, shortly after all the borders were opened. Finally. He smiled.

He watched as the people of the GDR climbed up the wall, crawled on top of it and jumped to the other side. On his side. They laughed and sang and cried. It had finally happened. The borders were open. The GDR was no longer separated from the BRD. The people were happy and free. A few started dancing, a man started to swing his woman around after a safe landing on the other side. Both had tears in their eyes.

An old looking man collapsed upon setting foot on the grounds of western Berlin. Hesitantly he started feeling the ground beneath his legs with trembling fingers. Same as Ludwig, he had never dreamt that this day would come.

A few boys who were just about to jump all together yelled vividly “FÜR DIE FREIHEIT” before finally jumping down the wall.

Slowly even the people of the BRD started arriving. He could feel their excitement pulsing through his veins, their thrill as they pushed through the crowd, looking for their long-lost lovers. Friends… _Families…_ he could feel their overwhelming joy upon finding them.

They threw themselves at each other and laughed and sang and cried together.

Suddenly, a loud voice started roaring over the noises of celebrating people, efficiently drowning out all the laugher and singing and crying. A booming voice with a slight undertone of authority and discipline. A warm voice, full of happiness and joy. A familiar voice. So painfully familiar, he had to clutch his chest.

Although it had changed a bit over the centuries of separation (it sounded a bit raspy and exhausted, but striking nonetheless) Ludwig would always recognize his voice. It was the voice that had raised him and the voice that had always talked to him when he needed it the most.

“The Wall has fallen, and our families are reunited!” the voice yelled “We are now once more part of the same country, the same city, the same Berlin. Heck, now we’re finally part of the same folk again!” it laughed. Ludwig tried to push through the cheering crowd, moved faster and faster, the thrill of anticipation grew with every step. He even spilled someone’s beer and, with all due respect, he could not bring himself to care.

“No more division, no more wall that separates us from our families, not long and no more BRD and GDR, but only one. Proud. German. Nation!” it boomed again, now louder than before. Ludwig was getting closer.

“My heart has burned and ached for this day to come and now that it has finally arrived, I feel like I can breathe again. The sky has opened up and I feel like I can soar again!” it stopped again in order to give way for the cheers and yells of approval “JA!” “TO A FREE GERMANY!” and “LASST UNS TRINKEN BIS ZUM ERSTEN MORGENROT” banged through the air.

The voice was so close now, so, so close, his hand grasped the fabric on his chest even tighter. After pushing one more drinking bystander (in all honesty Ludwig couldn’t care less about their beverage) aside, he stopped. And stared. On the wall, a few meters in front of him, in midst of an attentive and happy crowd he stood, proud and mighty. Ludwig could not see his face as his back was turned towards him, but he could recognize that white and unruly mop of hair everywhere. _Gilbert…_

His lungs seemed to stop working, he felt his heart slowing down and his ears started ringing. He could not focus anywhere but on him. Tall and imposing stood the embodiment of the GDR and former Prussia above Ludwig on the wall, a mug in his right hand.

“Now this is my Germany! Meine Damen und Herren, let’s go tear down this fucking wall! Prost!” Gilbert yelled once more before he raised his beer mug up in the air. “PROST” came the answer from seemingly everywhere. And then everyone drank and continued to celebrate. People started laughing and singing and crying again. The crowd slowly dissolved and Gilbert jumped down the wall on Ludwig’s side. A few people engaged Gilbert, congratulating him on his speech. He politely shook their hands.

Ludwig now could see his brothers face. He looked exhausted and weary; his handsome face had fallen a bit, his cheekbones were now visible and the clothes he wore didn’t seem to fit his now thinner form. The 30 years did not do well on the GDR’s economy and Gilbert certainly looked that way. Still, there was a spark in his eyes, something warm and passionate, the same fierce fire that Ludwig had seen burning in the man’s eyes, back when he was infamously known as the kingdom of Prussia. “ _Bruder…”_ he whispered unconsciously, right before his sky-blue eyes were met by ruby-red ones.

* * *

Gilbert could fell something pull at his attention and as he snapped his weary eyes towards whatever it was, his mind went blank. Sure, he had expected many things, another person that had wanted to congratulate him, the never-not smiling Russian who, and he was sure of that, wandered around somewhere near the wall or even the insufferable idiot, the United States of America. However, he was not prepared for those eyes he felt himself captured by. He was not prepared to face _him_.

The night had already cost Gilbert a great deal of his will, his strength was at its bottom. Still, he wanted- no, he _needed_ to come here, he _needed_ to witness the fall of this obnoxious wall, separation the east from the west of Berlin. He _needed_ to feel the relieve and the tremendous joy and the overwhelming feeling of this as a whole, the feeling of despite it being in the middle of the night and despite it being fucking cold and despite it being the end of his existence as a nation, he could feel the feeling hope and freedom rise inside him. He could feel his people being happy again and for him that was enough reason to come here. Gilbert was here out of sheer stubbornness and it all seemed to shatter as soon as he locked eyes with Ludwig.

Gilbert took in his little brothers’ appearance; slightly sweaty, slicked back hair, his tall body clad in fancy looking clothes and nice shoes, sporting a rather American-like style, he noted. All in all, he looked good. Well nourished and muscular (as expected from a country with a booming economy), but most importantly, he looked _different._ Not as broken as back in 1961, the last day they saw each other, and not as arrogant as during Hitlers’ rule. He looked much calmer, collected and… cool.

Gilbert noticed how his lips had started trembling, that his shoulders (he had tried to keep them squared to look imposing, even if his kingdom was no more he still had his pride god-damn it!) had slumped and that the beer mug he had held in his hand now lay spilled and broken on the floor. A shiver ran down his spine, the cold certainly did not help. Despite all this, he could feel his legs moving, approaching the man. Faster and faster, until he literally jumped and threw himself into his smiling younger brothers’ wide-open arms. He clasped his arms around Ludwig, mentally swearing to himself to never let go again. Simultaneously, he could feel arms closing around his waist and hugging him so tightly it nearly he crushed his bones. Not that Gilbert minded it one bit.

 _Bruder…_ he laughed, he felt Ludwig laughing as well, soft tremors rocking through their bodies. And as Gilbert mustered the courage to finally look at Ludwig’s face, he could see soft tears running down red and puffy cheeks. He knew he himself was crying as well, screw his pride and awesomeness, this was his little brother. His wonderful, precious, strong, and awesome little brother who he would gladly give his life for if he had to.

“You are really here” Ludwig breathed, then tightened his grip around Gilbert and hid his face in his shoulder, if he was afraid that his brother would suddenly disappear.

“I’ll always be here for you, West, don’t worry” Gilbert cooed soothingly as he started striking his brothers hair softly. Burying his nose in it he noted how nice his brother smelled; a tingling odor of grass, mixed with the faint smell motor oil, beer and sweat. _The smell of a new Germany_ he thought to himself.

Around them the world celebrated, drank, and laughed, sang and cried, but for them it could have all disappeared and they would not have noticed. At this moment, no time existed for them, no other people and no world. Just them, two long lost brothers, happy in each other’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> "FÜR DIE FREIHEIT" - is German and literally translates to "for the freedom"  
> “LASST UNS TRINKEN BIS ZUM ERSTEN MORGENROT” - is also German and literally translates to "let us drink until dawn"  
> "Meine Damen und Herren" is the German phrase for "Ladies and gentlemen"  
> "Prost" translates to "cheers"
> 
> “Ja” - is the German word for "yes"  
> "Bruder" is the German word for "brother"
> 
> Also, thank you very much for reading!


End file.
